June 5, 2008

Catholicism a crime in Canada?

Well, after my post yesterday about Canada’s shameful and abusive “human rights” panels (inquisitions), we get more evidence today that free speech is a luxury enjoyed south of the border and not in the snowy acres up north. What is the problem now? The Catholic Exchange website tells us:

Fr. Alphonse de Valk, a Brazilian priest and pro-life activist known throughout Canada for his orthodoxy, is currently being investigated by the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) — a quasi-judicial investigative body with the power of the Canadian government behind it. The CHRC is using section 13 of Canada’s Human Rights Act to investigate the priest. This is a section under which no defendant has ever won once the allegation has gone to tribunal — the next stage of the process.

Most defendants end up paying thousands of dollars in fines and compensation. This is in addition to various court costs. Moreover, defendants are responsible for their own legal defense. In contrast, the commission provides free legal assistance to the complainant.

What was Father de Valk’s alleged ‘hate act’?

Father defended the Church’s teaching on marriage during Canada’s same-sex ‘marriage’ debate, quoting extensively from the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Pope John Paul II’s encyclicals.

Thus, stating one’s opinion about a moral issue is verboten in Canada. Beware….

And by the way, it seems that being a Menonite runs afoul of Canadian authorities as well. In Quebec, they have been told to “conform to the official provincial curriculum, which includes teaching homosexuality as an acceptable alternative lifestyle” in their schools.

For an excellent National Review piece on the shenanigans in Canada, click here.